All Around The Year

by Liz Shakespeare

These twelve poignant stories, deeply rooted in the Devon landscape, are each linked to a month of the year from January through to December. You will be transported from a sleepy village square to the wilds of Exmoor and from a summer beach to the narrow streets of a small Devon town, and introduced to a variety of memorable characters.

In January, a young Croyde surfer tries to come to terms with her uncertain future. As signs of spring appear in the hedgerows, a farmer’s wife starts a new venture. In August, a bereaved woman is deeply affected by an unexpected sight on Lynmouth beach. A Bideford man searches for a special Christmas present.

All are at a moment of reckoning in their lives as they experience the subtle but significant events that make up everyday experience. These stories of love and loss, of separation and reconciliation, will stay with you throughout the year.

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2013

About the author

Liz Shakespeare was born in Devon and returned there after spending seven years in London, where she obtained an honours degree in English and trained as a teacher. Her mother's family are from Devon and the family stories she grew up with and the sense of being deeply rooted in the area have, she feels, influenced her writing.
She draws her inspiration from the North Devon countryside, from the strong historical identity of the area and the sense of past lives that can be experienced in any long-inhabited area. She is interested in social history and particularly in the lives of the less advantaged.

Reviews

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chance purchase at the RHS Rosemoore Garden gift shop where I was drawn to the book by the seasonal wheel of colour on the front cover. So pleased that I did, as although short stories are not normally my preference I adored these chapters split into months of the year, each with individual characters. Liz has a real talent, as I felt personally attached to all the characters, and felt a part of their story, their emotions and was eager for each chapter to carry on and be a separate story themselves. Yet the cliffhangers allows the reader to decide for themselves what happens next to each person.